Brush cleaning device



Sept. 21, 1948. A, O, QLSEQ 2,449,818

BRUSH CLEANING DEVI CE Filed Dec. 26, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FTBZ g re I 5 H g 37 l9 I9 22 a3 22 INVENTOR.

RNQLD o. OLSEN. Paul A.T1U:6T

ATTORNEY.

A. O. OLSEN BRUSH CLEANING DEVICE Sept. 21, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed Dec. 26, 1942 m u mm 1 i mm MS L O o D L O N on A BY PaulATalbfiF;

, ATTORNEYL Patented Sept. 21, 1948 UNITED STATES ATNT- OFFICE] I p 2,449,s1sf Q BBUSHGLEANING DEVICE l-11.511 0. 1m, Brooklyn, N. Y. A fieafivdli December 26, 1942, Serialo mans l My invention relates adapted to cleaning paint brushes in apaint can.

Among the purposes and objectsof. my inven- A brush rotating means which alternates the direction of motion at certain intervals.

A handy, convenientpainters accessory. A resilient holder and reverse motion shockabsorber. A clutch and adjusting means for it which also closes the top of thecan to preventsplashingp A spray proof can closure and brush holding spindle for revolvingthe, brush in the can.

I accomplish the above and other objects by the construction herein set-forth-and shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which: v v A Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing'one of the applications of my device.

Fig. 2 is fragmentary detail of the spindle and clutch. l i i Fig. 2A is a fragmentary detail of a modificatio of one of the jaws of the clutch. i

Fig. 3 is adetail cross section at 3-3 Fig. 4.- Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section of the cover. i Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of the segmental gears. 1- Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing and in the specifications to follow. 1

My invention cleans the paint from the bristles of paint brushes by a whirling or centrifugal motion, by revolving the brush, first in one direction and then the other. moving the device from the can in which the cleaning fluid is kept to an empty motion is repeated.

. In this, my disclosure, I have not attempted to show all the modifications which are possible to make within the scope and concept of my inventionbutrather to describe, in detail, a-preferred of paint cans which. are nearly universally used at this time, particularly in the sizesone gallon to a* device particularly The brush is dried by reone where the Claims. (01. 134-143) ,2 and less carried by, hardware and paint stores. Snuglyfitting the inner diameter ofthe opening 2 in the top of the can, I have provided the depending flange 3 which may be one of a plurality of such flanges secured to or formed integral with the cover plate or base 14.; The several flanges 3. are suitable to engage the tops of paint cans of,

The base 4 not only serves as ameans detachably securing my device to the paint can-but also serves to cover'the canjduring operation to prevent paint or other liquid and/or pigment from being sprayed :or thrown out. Thebase 4 also is provided with the frame 5 which supports the bearings 6 and 1 and the movingparts.

The vertical bearing, 6 receives the journal 8 l of the spindle 9, the upper end ID of which is securedto the bevel'pinion II .which alternately meshes with the segmental racks l2 and I3 which are sodisposed on the drive shaft l4 that one of said racks meshes on one side of said pinion;

then after disengaging said pinion, the other rack engages the pinion onthe opposite side, thereby causing the spindle to revolve first in one direction then in theopposite direction.

The same result is also obtainable by substituting' friction surfacesfor the teeth'l5 of the pinion II and the teeth It and I! of the segmental racks' l2 and l3.- 1 Q Secured to .the spindle 9 at the end opposite thepinion ll is the1chuck l8 comprising the spring retracted arms I9 which normally diverge from the hub 20 when the chuck is open and are substantially parallel when the chuck is closed by forcing the slidable collar down over the arms.

Each arm is preferably providedwith the resilientpads22 of neoprene-sponge or othersuit+ able material which is adapted to withstand the oil and cleaning liquid whicnmay be on the handle 23 of the bru-shzll which maybe held in the chuck and revolved by the mechanism described above.

In Fig. 2A I have shown the modified arms I8" conform to the longitudinal variations of shape and size-and also provide resiliency in absorbing some of the shock of the sudden reversing of motion of the spindle 9 resulting from the alternate engagement of the segmental racks l2 and I3 with the pinion II or the modified friction devices and surfaces (not shown) which may be substituted for the pinion and segmental racks.

In Fig. 2A, I have shown a modification of the chuck H5 in which the arms l9 are shown detachably secured to the hub 20' by means of the screws 2i. The arms l9 may be flat springs and thus are detachably secured to the hub at one end and are permanently secured to the heavy, more rigid lower portion of the arms to which the resilient pads 22 are secured.

The collar 2| may, in some cases, be, modified by being threaded and the arms also may be provided with threads to receive the'threaded collar to assist in forcing the collar to clamp the arms on the brush handle or other device which is held in the chuck.

The base 4 is provided the center aperture 3| which is of sufficient diameter to receive the arms IQ of the chuck when in their open position as may be seen by referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings. The collar at its lower position of travel over the arms of the chuck is partly shown in broken lines.

The base 4' is preferably provided with an upwardly projecting ridge 32 surrounding the collar 2| and catching any liquid or spray which may escape between the under face 33 of the collar and the top surface 34 of the base 4.

The collar is provided with the outward extending flange 35 which serves as a, handle or knob for sliding the collar on the chuck arm-s and the lower flange 36 which serves as a cover over the aperture 3| as well as to provide the extended under surface 33 for the collar.

A downwardly projecting ridge 3'"! is provided around the aperture 3| to reduce the spray leakage through the aperture around the chuck and handle.

. The bristles 38' of the brush 25, when revolved, are thrown outwardly as shown in Fig. I of the drawings, thus most effectively releasing the liquid and pigmentsin cleaning. The bristles return to their normal vertical position, then rubagainst each other and fly outwardly away from each other at each stop or reversal of the direction of travel of the revolving brush, chuck and spindle.

The drive shaft I4 is shown as being provided with a crank 38 or other means for revolving said shaft in one direction or both directions. The racks l2 and I3, however, will reversethe motion of the spindle 9 while the drive shaft continues to revolve in one direction. It is thus unnecessary to reverse the motion of the drive shaft such as by turning the crank in the opposite direction or obviously by providing other mechanical devices to revolve the drive shaft in one direction, then to revolve it in the opposite direction.

The size and relation of the parts may vary to suit the particular service to which my device may be suited.

The foregoing specifications of the preferred embodiment of my invention are, by this disclosure, a contribution to the better understanding of the following claims which setforth my invention and for which this is my Letters Patent.

I claim:

. 1. In a brush cleaner, a paint can for cleaning liquid and a base covering said can, said base having brush revolving means mounted thereon, and means reversing said brush revolving: means:

and a center aperture, said brush revolving means comprising a spindle and a chuck having arms which extend downward through said center aperture and a collar slidable on the arms of the chuck to close said arms when in its lowered position, and resilient pads secured only within said arms compressible to conform to the brush handle when said [collar is at its lowered position and to pemnit said collar to slide on the outside of said arms'over said pads, a part of said pads being disposed below said base.

2. In a brush cleaner, a paint can and top opening therein for cleaning liquid and a base covering said opening, said base having brush revolving means mounted thereon and means reverslng said brush revolving means and a center aperture; said; revolving means comprising a spindle and chuck having arms which extend downwardly through said center aperture and a collar slidable on the ari-ns of the chuck to close said arms when in its lowered position and resil-ient pads to grip th'e'handle or the brush, said" and means reversing said brushrevolving meansand a center aperture, said brush revolving means comprising a spindle and chuck having arms which extend downwardly through said center aperture and a. collar sliidable onthe arms of the chuck to close said arms and also to close said center aperture when in its lowered position.

4. In a brush cleaner, a paint can for cleaning- ..liquid and a base covering said can, sai'd'base halving brush revolving means mounted thereen and means reversingsaid brush revolving means and a center aperture, said brush revolving means comprising a spindle and chuck having arms which extend downwardly throughsaid center aperture and a collar sliolabl'e oh the arms of the chuck to close said arms and also to close said center aperture when in its lowered position, and resilient pads secured within said anns compressible to conform to a brush handle when said collar is at its ll'owered position, and an upwardly projecting ridge around said center aper ture to cause leakage around said collar to drain back into said can.

5. In a brush cleaning 'd'evu'ice having acan for cleaning. liquid and a cover and brush rotating means [mounted thereon and an aperture in said cover through which the brush handle and said rotating means for the brush are free to rotate, said brush rotating means comprising a chuck engaging the handle of the brush and holding the top end of the handle above the top of said can, with the handle or the brush extending through said aperture, whereby the depth of the can may be; less than the length of the brush and its handle.

6. In a brush cleaning device having a can for cleaning liquid and a cover and brush rotating means mountedthereon anduan aperture: in said iCOVEl through which the brush. handle and rotating means for the brush are free to rotate, a chuck engaging the handle of the brush-being rotated in said aperture in said cover, said-"chuck comprising a part of said rotating. means and having arm's movable; to release 'or grip: the handle or the brushwh-ile said aperture.

projecting throughthe 7. In a device for paint cans to clean brushes therein, a base having means depending therefrom to engage the tops of cans of various sizes, a chuck for engaging the handle of a brush which projects above the top of a can, revolving means mounted on said base for revolving said chuck and brush held therein, said chuck having its lower end below the top of said can and its upper end above the top of said can.

8. In a device for paint cans to clean brushes therein, a base having means depending therefrom to engage the tops of cans of various sizes, a chuck for engaging the handle of a brush which projects above the top of a can, revolving means mounted on said base for revolving said chuck and brush held therein, said chuck having its lower end below the top of said can and its upper end above the top of said can, a collar, arms for said chuck closed by said collar holding the lower ends of said arms fixed in a. closed position to hold said brush handle while projecting above said can and compressible pads secured only to the inner surfaces of said arms enabling said collar to slide on the outer surfaces of said arms, a part of said pads being disposed below the top of said can.

9. In a device for cleaning paint brushes in which ordinary paint cans are supplied with cleaning fluid through their top openings, a cover for the can, said cover having brush holding and revolving means, said means holding the handle of the brush enabling the brush handle to extend from within the can to above the top of the can,

said brush holding means extending downwardly through said cover.

10. In a device for cleaning paint brushes in which ordinary paint cans are supplied with cleaning fluid. through their top openings, a cover for the can, said cover having brush holding and revolving means, said means holding the handle of the brush enabling the brush handle to extend from within the can to above the top of the can, said brush holding means extending downwardly through said cover, flange means depending from said cover snugly fitting into the top opening of the can to secure said cover to said can and means around said brush holding and revolving means to drain leakage back into the can.

ARNOLD O. OLSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,056,084 Bates Mar. 18, 1913 1,133,613 Buss et al. Mar. 30, 1915 1,202,432 Rozelle et al. Oct. 24, 1916 1,305,902 Jaques June 3, 1919 1,361,348 Pfisterer Dec. 7, 1920 1,368,717 Gosar Feb. 15, 1921 1,926,948 Ifliand Sept. 12, 1933 2,239,741 Schroder Apr. 29, 1941 2,286,913 Kelly et al. June 16, 1942 2,286,972 Nash June 16, 1942 

